Being in school in London 1939-45

I started school at the old Haberdashers building in Cricklewood on 10th. September 1939, one week after the declaration of war.
By 1945 I was in the 6th. form at the time when the V1`s ( doodle bugs ) were coming over. It was our duty, as seniors, to be on the roof spotting for them. About half a mile away, in Claremont Road was the Handley Page Factory, which was a known target. As we did not wish to spend unnecessary time in the air raid shelters, we had a system which involved watching the roof of the factory , where they displayed a large green disc when the first siren sounded. When the factory received warning rhat a flying bomb was approaching this disc was changed to red.
At this point we sounded the alarm bells and the pupils were marched to the shelters, but we had to remain on the roof.
On the day I am describing I the saw two V1`s flying towards the school from the South East and, as they were wont to do, cut their engines about a mile away. There was nothing to do but hope. One glided in a half circle and landed at Cricklewood Broadway next to Woolworths and the other dropped into a slow dive to make a space for what is now the Tower Garage on Finchley road.Each was no more than 500 yards away.
I can truly say that I feel that every day since has been a bonus.

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